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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. firm — decided
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kid — to tease
  7. firm — a company
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — child
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. band — a music group
  18. bat — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com